Things I hoard…

Disclosure: Any post may contain links to my shop or affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission from any purchase you make. All opinions about products I use are my own. Read the full disclosure and Privacy Policy HERE.

This post may seem like it could be embarrassing, but it isn’t. I’m too attached to these items to feel any shame about owning a lot of them.

During past declutter challenges, I’ve had people tell me they wish I would just say “keep this many towels, this many blankets, this many shoes” and so on. But I would never be able to guess how much stuff you need! We each have different needs, and I’m sharing some of my extra needs today.

Here are the main items I’m always stocked up on:

• Wash cloths
• Epsom salts
• Peanut butter
• Candles & smelly wax things
• Nightgowns (aka: my uniform)

Okay, now for the really truthful part. I’m going to show you my stockpiles of stuff.

First up: wash cloths. I’m not sure how I use so many, but I probably use at least 5-6 each day. And I wash them once a week … soooo, yeah, I have a massive amount of wash cloths to keep me going in between washes.

Next up: epsom salts. I probably soak in the tub at least 3 times each week just to relax and help with daily aches and pains. I add a lot of salt to the tub, so I always keep a ton on hand.

My husband used to tease me about my salt baths, especially how much I add each time, but then he joined an adult soccer league over the summer and he hurt. Yep, I saw several scoops of salt go in his baths and not coincidentally, he no longer makes fun of my salt baths.

Next up: peanut butter. I must confess: seeing this amount of peanut butter makes me think I need to go buy more peanut butter. Have you ever run out of peanut butter? I have, and it’s not something I want to happen twice.

This feels like my most irrational stockpile. In reality, I go to the grocery store each week, I do not need this much peanut butter. But, I feel so much better having it around and since it fits on the shelf, I just indulge myself.

Next: candles and wax smelly things. I like my house to smell good and apparently, 3 drawers worth seems like just the right amount. In my defense, I use the drawers as a boundary and I pretty much always have a candle or wax burner going.

I like good smells. Doesn’t everyone? Do you have a stockpile? I feel like candles might be a more relatable thing to hoard, but not the next one.

I admit, I almost left out this next one, but I don’t think I can leave it out in good conscience. My readers bare all in our Facebook group, and I want to be transparent too.

Finally: nightgowns, or as my family calls it, my uniform. I have a certain nightgown that I found soft and comfortable. I bought one and loved it so much that I wanted to wear it every night. The thing is, I like putting on fresh pajamas every night because it makes me feel cleaner.

I can’t believe I’m admitting all this, I sound so weird. But yet it’s about to get weirder. I liked the nightgown so much that I went back to the store and bought the rest on the rack. Every night, I slip on a new nightgown and all feels right in the world. My family sees me in this so much that they call it my uniform. (And you can catch a glimpse of it in this instagram post.)

Things I don’t hoard anymore.

There’s a few things I’ve hoarded in the past, but I’ve used up or donated until I just have a reasonable amount. I’d call these a “work in progress.” I don’t have pictures of these, but I still want to share because I think they show that change is possible!

• Fabric
• Paint
• Extra school supplies
• Purses

Decluttering is a process, and it takes time.

Each of us has to go through the hard work of looking at our stuff and thinking about what we really need. I may eventually realize I don’t need that many washcloths and I can declutter some.

But I think it’s reasonable to expect that we’ll all keep some more of some items that we use all the time or that are important to us. Clutter is subjective, but if your home and life feel in chaos, then you’ve probably got too much clutter going out of control. Reign in what you can, then go from there. One step at a time.

Happy Decluttering!

From my home to yours,
Mary

pin this post